Protecting democracy from digital manipulation

The 13th parliamentary elections, slated for February 12, 2026, mark a watershed moment in the country's history. The election is crucial as it is expected to pave the way for Bangladesh's return to democracy after more than a decade and...

Why libraries need AI now

“Gaayane Mukti, Agamir Vitti” (Knowledge is Freedom, the Foundation of the Future) is the theme of this year’s observance of National Library Day in Bangladesh. This theme captures a timeless truth with renewed urgency. In an era marked by information...

BTRC seeks to ease spectrum concerns as GP secures 700 MHz allocation

Bangladesh's telecom regulator has taken a fresh step to address growing concerns over regulatory imbalance in the allocation of 700 MHz spectrum to Grameenphone (GP), as it invited rival operators Robi Axiata and Banglalink to a discussion on Tuesday to...

Govt orders expeditious part takeover of KAFCO's foreign stakes

The government has asked for expediting the process of takeover of a portion of foreign stakes in Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited (KAFCO) and offloading some shares of the multinational on the capital market. Sources have said the instruction was issued...

BNP manifesto by Feb 6, Jamaat’s tomorrow

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to unveil its election manifesto by February 6,while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will do the same tomorrow.The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to unveil its 13th national election manifesto by February 6, with the...

What's in store for post-poll govt?

Following a consultation with Bangladesh at the end of January 2026, the global multilateral lender IMF in a press release made a rather cautious forecast about the economy under the post-election government. The IMF was somewhat positive about GDP's growth...

Majority PPP projects stall along with committed FDIs

Over 50 per cent of the projects taken under the public-private partnership (PPP) development model since 2009, mostly involving foreign investment, stay put despite having been enlisted as potential ones for Bangladesh's uplift.The Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) has a projection...

Revenue board bifurcation loses way in legal labyrinth

Much-hyped bifurcation of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is unlikely to complete during the tenure of the interim government as the major reform gets into legal and procedural labyrinth.Officials and experts vent such despair in view of latest complications...

Drug makers show strong resilience in H1 FY26 despite adversities

The leading drug manufacturers posted double-digit year-on-year profit growth in the first half (H1) of the current financial year, driven by higher sales and lower input costs amid a stable forex market.The pharmaceutical companies remained on growth trajectory at a...

Blaming bureaucracy for governance failure now makes no sense

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, the adviser in charge of the Ministries of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Roads and Bridges, and Railways was at his oratorical best when he was grilling bureaucracy during an inauguration of a programme held at...

A world without the UN?

As the World War I or WWI ended, the victors of the war made the Covenant of the League of Nations, in short, League, in January 1920, wherein the Treaty of Versailles was included. The mission was to maintain world...

Cost set to go down 12.59pc under ECNEC instructions

The long-awaited second refinery project is set for a major overhaul as the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) moves to rein in costs that had raised eyebrows at the highest levels of government.A revised proposal now seeks to cut...

Lenders stare at Tk 6.46b loss after bank merger

At least five financial institutions risk losing assets following the recent bank merger, as shares held as collateral for loans they disbursed have been valued at zero.IFIC Bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, Southeast Bank and National Housing Finance together...

The silent crisis of drug abuse

There has been little success in the drive against drugs, even in relative terms. By all indications, the menace is expanding, assuming newer forms and greater intensity with the influx of new substances. The findings of the latest nationwide survey...

GDP growth in election years

The current fiscal year is an election year, with polls scheduled for February 12. A key question is how the economy will respond to the election in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. As the economy has entered the...

The making of a British train driver

In 1862, Britain's colonial rulers laid the first railway tracks in what is now Bangladesh. The Financial Express speaks to George McCrudden, a young train driver in London whose work contributes to the continuation of a long legacy that is...

Foreign aid pipeline shrinks 3.99pc in FY 2024-25

The pipeline of foreign aid - funds available for disbursement - narrowed to $42.09 billion in FY25, marking a 3.99-percent fall from the previous fiscal year to hit the lowest level since FY18, according to the latest Economic Relations Division...

Bangladesh to seek 12-yr trade grace for post-graduation era

Bangladesh is set to seek a binding 12-year transition period to safeguard its export-oriented economy from post-LDC-graduation trade challenges in a high-stakes strategy to be placed at the upcoming WTO ministerial meet. Officials say the government has finalized a comprehensive...

Charge rational interest rate on loans

Government's finance division wants fixing rational interest on loans from microfinance banks as it finds the rates irrationally high in case of microcredit, taken by small borrowers, sources have said.It specifically wants that the microfinance banks charge simple interest from...

Mono rail, LRT not studied under four major plans

Although at least four major transport plans were taken for the capital city since 1990s, the scope of launching mono rail or light rapid transit (LRT) as a mode of mass transit system was never studied.Officials and experts termed lack...

Three Ps hold the key to economic progress

Economic development and good governance depend not merely on the availability of resources, but on how efficiently, transparently, and effectively those resources are planned, managed, and utilized.In this context, the three Ps-Public Financial Management (PFM), Project Management (PM), and Public...

Without spectators or active supporters no sport or game is worth its merit

Volumes have been written about sports but followers or fans are hardly lucky enough to draw attention even remotely similar to professional games and sports personalities. But without spectators or viewers no sport or game is what it is. The...

Europe can save the world from Trump

Something unusual happened at the World Economic Forum (WEF) this year which is reverberating through the corridors of power in Europe and elsewhere. The banker-turned politician Mark Carney, currently the prime minister of Canada, had the audacity to say that...

Four years on, ICT Division proposes 154pc cost hike

The ICT Division has submitted a second revision proposal for the Bangladesh Institute of Frontier Technology (BIFT) preliminary infrastructure project, estimating the cost at Tk 38.90 billion, a 153.5-percent increase from the current estimate of Tk 15.34 billion.This came after...

Pitfalls of Trumpian tariffs

Aimed at pulling up the cost of foreign products, protecting domestic industries, and raising revenue, tariffs are taxes or duties imposed by a government on imported commodities. These are used as an important tool in inter-governmental economic policy-making, as they...

People use polythene knowing full well it is harmful

In a country as small as Bangladesh with an area of 147,570 square kilometres and a population size of 180 million, 8th largest in the world, the per capita use of nine kilogram plastic unfolds a terribly tragic vista the...

Over Tk 161b stuck as BASIC Bank litigations pile up

More than Tk 161 billion of BASIC Bank's funds remain locked in prolonged litigation, reflecting deep-rooted weaknesses in loan recovery and legal resolution, sources say.They say the state-owned bank is currently involved in 1,230 pending cases, with a total claim...

Why Phillips Curve fails in Bangladesh

In simple terms, the Phillips Curve proposes a trade-off: when an economy grows rapidly and jobs become plentiful, prices tend to rise faster; when unemployment is high, inflation tends to slow. In other words, a country may tolerate some inflation...

When laws fail to protect children

That the corporal punishment of children is banned is nothing new. But the fact is there are few schools or madrasahs countrywide that are following this rule. The issue has once again come into focus and triggered public outrage after...

A nation's pledge to never relive the darkness

When Professor Muhammad Yunus stepped through the corridors of the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum, the act itself transcended the protocol of a state visit. This was not a symbolic tour or a courtesy call on the museum. This act...